Datapoint: Judge Tosses Bid to Block Amgen’s Stelara Biosimilar
A federal judge in Delaware tossed Johnson & Johnson’s initial motion in its patent suit against Amgen Inc.’s Stelara biosimilar, citing J&J’s “failure to comply” with the court’s rules on page limits. While J&J will have to refile the motion, the decision is likely just a minor setback. Stelara was J&J’s top-selling drug in 2022, bringing in $9.7 billion in worldwide sales. Evaluate Pharma projects revenue will begin to decline in 2024, with biosimilars from Biocon and Alvotech poised to launch as early as the second half of this year. The FDA has yet to approve any Stelara copies, but a decision on Amgen’s drug is expected in the next few months. Stelara was first approved in September 2009 for the treatment of moderate to severe plaque psoriasis, an indication for which it currently holds covered or better status for 77% of all insured lives under the medical benefit.
From Evaluate Pharma and MMIT Analytics, as of 3/6/23